Are You Ready to Start Your Own Business? Find out With This Quick 5-Point Test

Starting your own business is an exciting step, but needs lots of thought and preparation. You also need to be the right kind of person with the right kind of mindset | Source

Are You Ready to Start a New Business?

Are you ready to start your own business? The idea is an exciting one for many people. But entrepreneurship isn't right for everyone. It takes more than capital, a sound business plan, and a great concept to make a successful business. You need to be able to face the prospect of success and failure with equanimity and confidence.

While thorough planning and risk assessment are essential prerequisites to starting your own business, there's never a perfect time to commit. It takes a lot of guts to dive into the unknown. Whether you win or lose as an entrepreneur depends on you and you alone.

Are you ready?

Take this five-point test to find out. If you can answer yes to two or three of these questions, then being the master of your own destiny may be the thing for you.

1. You Don't Love Your Job - You Only Do It for the Money

If your current job isn't something you love, but nothing more than the daily grind which you do for one reason alone, which is to make money, you might be ready to work for yourself.

But simply not enjoying what you do at the moment isn't enough. And wanting to make more money isn't a good enough motivator to become an entrepreneur. If that's your only motive, you'd be better off seeking preferment or taking a look around the jobs market for alternative employment with a fatter salary.

If what bothers you about your day job is that it gets in the way of pursuing a serious, passionate interest which you know could also be monetized, then starting your own business could be for you.

The acid test? Ask yourself if you'd be prepared to take a reduction in your take home pay in order to realize your self-employment dreams. If the answer is yes, you most likely have the spirit of a real entrepreneur burning inside you.

Is she just dog-tired or dreaming the entrepreneurial dream? | Source

2. Your Head's in the Clouds - And Your Feet Are Firmly on the Ground

If you haven't just been day-dreaming about independence but planning for it, that's another good sign that you might be ready to strike out on your own. Rather than simply wishing you could work for yourself, you've been making notes, thinking things through, doing research, making contacts, and building out a business plan.

Many people dream of running a business. But to make a success of it requires a rare combination of imagination and practicality. If you have both, give yourself another tick on the potential entrepreneur success chart!

As an entrepreneur, you should dream big, and reach for the sky. But if you don't want to lose your balance, make sure your feet are firmly planted on the ground. | Source

3. You Know What Your Business Would Be

Successful entrepreneurs don't start out with a vague notion that they'd like to go into business. They start out with a specific, clearly defined passion. If you don't have that, you're not ready to start up on your own.

But if there's something you're excited by, that motivates you, that you do anyway, and you think you might be able to turn it into a business, that's a good sign. It doesn't matter if you're not sure how in every detail. Your research will find out.

To rise above the challenges and disappointments you'll face on the road to success, you need to care about your business above and beyond making money.

If you're ready to start a business, you have a clear idea of what you want to do. You may not understand all the details yet, but that knowledge will come from focused research about the practicalities and the mindset you'll need to be successful | Source

4. You Want to Go It Alone - And You Have a Support Network

It's called "going it alone" but if you're ready to start up your own business, you'll understand that's not a true description. You'll need the support of your family, friends, and a network of business colleagues and investors. You'll value those relationships, cultivate and nurture them along with your business. If you understand how much other people matter to your success, you've already learned a vital lesson to help you realize your business dreams.

5. You Know What And You Understand Why

Knowing what you want to do is a good first step, along with being passionate about it. But just as important is to understand why you want to run your own business. And you need to dig a little deeper than a general idea about freedom and being your own boss.

The most successful entrepreneurs have highly developed self-awareness. Understanding the real, deep motivations behind your wish to run your own business will keep you on message and inform all your business aims. Without knowing what motivates you, what you want to achieve beyond the spreadsheet balance, how can you know if you've achieved success?

Are you ready to start your own business? Take the quiz!

How Did You Do?

There's a vast gulf between entrepreneurial dreams and the practicalities of running a business. And there's a lot more needed than money to make it work. More than anything, you need to be the right person with the right idea, a clear motivation, and passionate determination to see it through. But if you pass most of the five tests above, that successful entrepreneur of the future really could be you.

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AUTHOR

Amanda Littlejohn

2 weeks ago

You're welcome. Leland.

Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, and all the best with your business endeavors!

Leland Johnson

2 weeks agofrom Midland MI

I am actually involved in 2 start up businesses right now! I've been doing the same day job for almost 30 years and I'm ready to take the plunge into working for myself. I am moving cautiously into the new businesses though making as safe a transition as I can. It's the day job that supplies insurance for my family so I'm hoping and praying these new ventures will produce enough income to cover all expenses including insurance/healthcare needs. I DO have a good support network, especially my wife. She supports every hare brained scheme i come up with!

I liked the last question on the quiz because it reminded me that I really do need a mission/vision statement. Thanks for another excellent article!

AUTHOR

Amanda Littlejohn

2 months ago

Hi Nicholas,

Thanks for reading and taking the time to leave a comment. Raising initial capital can be a challenge depending on what business you aim to start. But it is possible. And sometimes the best route to your destination isn't a straight line. Start small and plan for growth when resources allow.

A very insightful article.It was also resourceful of you making use of the quiz.

I have always wanted to start my own business.However,this plan of mine have been hindered by lack of access to capital.Still,I am determined to scale through this obstacle of funding and set up my business system.

Focus ,passion and determination would be key to achieving my goals.

AUTHOR

Amanda Littlejohn

2 months ago

Hi Shelley,

Thanks for your comment. It's a good point. It doesn't really matter what a person's motivation is or where it comes from. The energy and focus to take action and sustain it over time comes from knowing what it is.

FlourishAnyway

2 months agofrom USA

I’m very happy that I gave up the corporate life but I think the experience was a great motivator for moving me forward in what I’m achieving now.

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